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Former President Donald Trump has announced his plans to visit a McDonald’s in Lower Southampton Township, Pennsylvania, this weekend. The visit is a part of his last push in crucial battleground states, with only a few weeks left before the election.
In an interview with "Fox & Friends" on Friday, Trump revealed his plans, stating he would "do everything" while in town. In addition, he mentioned a friend of his who operated a McDonald's, saying he would look into Vice President Kamala Harris's claim to have worked at the restaurant in her youth.
Donald Trump, Kamala Harris
In the course of the conversation, Trump charged Harris with lying about her previous job at McDonald's. Harris has stated time and time again that she worked for the massive fast-food chain while she was a student. The manager of the store Harris cited, according to Trump, was consulted by his staff and stated she had never worked there.
“We went to the manager,” Trump said. “The manager’s been there forever. ‘You remember her? No, she never worked here.’” He added that the McDonald’s staff confirmed Harris did not work at the location in question.
McDonald’s Controversy
Harris has said in the past that her time spent working at McDonald's influenced the way she saw the working class and the difficulties faced by Americans who work minimum-wage jobs to support their families. She reaffirmed this stance in a recent interview with Stephanie Ruhle of MSNBC, pointing out that she understands the difficulties faced by many McDonald's employees in raising children.
“Part of the difference between me and my opponent includes our perspective on the needs of the American people and what our responsibility, then, is to meet those needs,” Harris said.
This weekend, Trump is expected to visit the Pennsylvania McDonald's on Street Road. His continuous campaign across battleground states, including Pennsylvania, a crucial state in the approaching election, includes this appearance. Later on the same day, Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Latrobe, which is approximately an hour outside of Pittsburgh.
Lower Southampton Township, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania continues to be a key component of electoral preparations for both parties. In 2020, President Biden won the state by a mere 1% margin, earning all 19 of the state's Electoral College votes. This time, in an attempt to convince undecided voters in the closing weeks of the campaign, Trump and Harris are focusing on Pennsylvania's powerful electorate.
The Hill/Decision Desk HQ conducted a recent survey in Pennsylvania, and the results show that Harris leads Trump by less than half a percentage point, with 48.7 percent of the vote to 48.3 percent.
A Battleground for 2024
While they campaign in Pennsylvania, both candidates have a lot on the line. Important turning points in Trump's plan to regain momentum in the state were his rally in Latrobe and his visit to the Lower Southampton Township McDonald's. In the meanwhile, Harris has appealed to those worried about economic concerns by drawing on her personal working-class background, which includes her time spent at McDonald's.
The Fast-Food Feud
It seems that Trump is trying to discredit Harris for her McDonald's claim by criticizing her in an area where Democrats have always positioned themselves as champions of the working class: economic issues. Trump is attempting to change the story and show himself as more in line with working Americans by throwing doubt on Harris's personal experience.
Due to the intense competition between the two candidates for Pennsylvania's Electoral College votes, the fast-food restaurant has evolved into an unexpected setting for political altercations during the campaign's closing stages.